Тесты по чтению на английском языке. Готовимся к централизованному тестированию

5. The mask that covers more than just a face is described in

A.Section A, E

B.Section C, B С. Section D, A

D.Section E, B

d II. Прочитайте текст. Подберите соответствующий заголовок к каждому абзацу (1-5).

(1)The London A-Z is a little book containing page after page of street maps. By referring to the alphabetical list in the back, you can find your way to any address in the city. Many people living and working in London use it on a daily basis. But what few people realize is that the little book has only existed since 1936 and it was the work of one woman named Phyllis Pearsall. Phyllis was not a cartographer by profession. In fact she was a portrait artist and the project grew out of her frustration at never being able to find the houses of her clients. There were very few maps of London at that time and those there were, although they included roads, tended to focus on geographical features. They were not really intended for the general public and certainly didn't include street names.

(2)Seeing a gap in the market, Phyllis started her mapping project. It was a huge undertaking. She got up at five every morning and she would walk and walk, systematically sketching streets as she saw them, and ended up walking three thousand miles along twenty-three thousand streets in a single year. She became very obsessed with completing this task, maybe because her father had been a map-maker with his own company in London, but he'd gone bankrupt. That had affected her greatly, and when she started this project, he was unsupportive saying: 'You'll never do it. I'll give you a week.' So she really wanted to prove that she could run a business, that she could outdo him.

(3)The maps themselves are different from most other kinds of map in that they don't have their basis in mathematical calculations. When you look at an A-Z map, the emphasis is on the streets, so you'll see

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where you want to go. But an A-Z map distorts reality for the convenience of the pedestrian and driver. That is why Phyllis was disregarded by a lot of the academics of the map world. She had no qualifications in cartography at all, just lots of determination. As an artist she was very efficient, though, probably sketching about five roads an hour, and she was also extremely observant, with a great eye for color, and that was the other striking thing about the A-Z maps when they first came in.

(4)But right at the end of the project, she almost had a disaster. She was cataloguing all the streets she'd sketched on index cards, arranged in shoe boxes around her tiny flat, and she'd got as far as the Ts. One hot summer night, she left the T box on her desk, next to an open window. She was woken up by a storm. A big gust of wind had taken hold of the T box and blown it out of the window. She ran to the window, looked out, and she could see a whole fluttering of white index cards on the street and one white card on top of a red bus. She ran down, scooped all these cards up and ran in front of the bus waving, but it didn't stop. Later, she and her editor went through all the cards, but couldn't find which street was missing. Fortunately, when the book got to the printers, somebody there spotted it and said, 'Excuse me, Mrs. Pearsall, but is there any reason why you've left out Trafalgar Square?' and it was one of the most famous addresses in the whole city!

(5)Initially, she found the books very difficult to sell. She tried to interest all the large department stores, but at first no-one saw the potential. Then finally, a large chain of newsagents agreed to stock them on a strictly 'sale or return' basis. And they took off immediately. Today, bookshops stock A-Z maps of most British cities and they have been imitated all over the world.

A.Finally, Triumph

B.Almost Ruined

C.In Need of Assistance

D.Supportive Family

E.Comparatively New Phenomenon

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F.Everybody Must Get It

G.One of a Kind

H.One-Woman Project

d III. Прочитайте текст и выполните послетекстовые задания.

(1)Although stage plays have been set to music since the era of the ancient Greeks, when the dramas of Sophocles and Aeschylus were accompanied by lyres and flutes, the usually accepted date for the beginning of opera as we know it is 1600. As a part of the celebration of the marriage of King Henry IV of France to the Italian aristocrat Maria de Medici, the Florentine composer Jacopo Peri produced his famous Euridice, generally considered to be the first opera.

(2)Following his example, a group of Italian musicians, poets, and noblemen called the Camerata began to revive the style of musical story that had been used in Greek tragedy. The Camerata took most of the plots for their operas from Greek and Roman history and mythology, beginning the process of creating an opera by writing a libretto or drama that could be used to establish the framework for the music. They called their compositions opera in musica or musical works. It is from this phrase that the word "opera" was borrowed and abbreviated.

(3)For several years, the center of opera was Florence in northern Italy, but gradually, during the baroque period, it spread throughout Italy. By the late 1600s, operas were being written and performed in many places throughout Europe, especially in England, France, and Germany. However, for many years, the Italian opera was considered the ideal, and many non-Italian composers continued to use Italian librettos.

(4)The European form deemphasized the dramatic aspect of the Italian model. New orchestral effects and even ballet were introduced under the guise of opera. Composers gave in to the demands of singers, writing many operas that were little more than a succession of brilliant tricks for the voice, designed to showcase the splendid voices of the singers who had requested them. It was thus that complicated arias, recitatives, and duets evolved.

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(5) The aria, which is a long solo, may be compared to a song in which the characters express their thoughts and feelings. The recitative, which is also a solo of sorts, is a recitation set to music, the purpose of which is to continue the story line. The duet is a musical piece written for two voices, a musical device that may serve the function of either an aria or a recitative within the opera. But the opera itself as we know it now had a long way to go.

d Прочитайте текст и выберите вариант ответа, соответствующий содержанию текста (задания 1-5).

1. The accepted date for the beginning of the opera is

A. ancient times when dramas were accompanied by lyres and flutes B. the marriage of King Henry IV to the Italian aristocrat Maria de

Medici

C. when Euridice was produced for the royal wedding celebration.

2. The Camerata was known to be a group of Italian musicians and poets

A. who began to create a new style of musical story B. who began to revive the Greek musical story

C. who began to improve the Italian style of musical story

3. The Camerata began to create the modern opera by

A. writing the framework for the music

B. creating music used as the framework for the libretto C. writing drama used as the basis for the performance

4. The European opera placed more emphasis on

A. voice and movement B. libretto and plot

C. orchestra and light effects

5. A long song in which the singer expresses thoughts and feelings is called

A.a solo

B.an aria

C.a duet

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d Определите значение указанного слова в тексте (задания

6-8).

d III. Выберите правильный вариант перевода в соответствии с содержанием текста (задания 9-12).

9.The Camerata took most of the plots for their operas from Greek and Roman history and mythology. (2)

A.Камерата брала большинство сюжетов для опер из греческой и римской истории и мифологии.

B.Большая часть опер Камераты созданы на материале сюжетов из греческой и римской истории и мифологии.

C.Камерата взяла большинство сюжетов опер из греческой и римской истории и мифологии.

10.By the late 1600s, operas were being written and performed in many places throughout Europe. (3)

A.К концу 16 века оперы писали и исполняли во многих местах по всей Европе.

B.К 1610 году оперы уже сочинялись и ставились во многих уголках Европы.

C.К концу 1600 года оперы писали и исполняли повсеместно

вЕвропе.

11.However, for many years, the Italian opera was considered the ideal (3)

A.Но долгие годы именно итальянская опера была образцом для подражания.

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B.Несмотря на это, итальянская опера многие годы считалась идеалом.

C.Кстати, итальянская опера всегда считалась идеальной.

12.The European form deemphasized the dramatic aspect of the Italian model (4).

A.В европейской опере драматическая сторона итальянской отошла на второй план.

B.Европейская форма меньше подчеркивала драматический аспект итальянской модели.

C.Европейская опера развенчала культ драматизма в итальянской модели.

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TEST 12

ON FINE ARTS

d I. Прочитайте текст и выберите вариант ответа, соответствующий содержанию прочитанных фрагментов (A – D).

A. The Victoria and Albert Museum

Unrivalled as the world's finest museum of decorative arts, London's Victoria and Albert Museum was founded in 1852 to support and encourage excellence in art and design. It is home to 145 galleries, including the national collections of sculpture, furniture, fashion and textiles, paintings, silver, glass, ceramics, jewelry, books, prints and photographs. The magnificent collections constitute a unique international resource. Some four million objects are held by the museum, ranging from the English landscape artist, Constable, to oriental ceramics, and the finest collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture outside Italy, as well as the most impressive collection of Indian art and artefacts outside the subcontinent.

B. The Museum of the Moving Image

The magical world of film and television comes to life before your eyes at the Museum of the Moving Image. Here, you are the star! You can fly like Superman, become a newsreader, audition for a Hollywood screen role, watch hundreds of films and TV clips, and interact with our cast of actor guides. Crossing the drawbridge entrance of our new special exhibition, you can step back through the mists of time to enter the magical world of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. There are hands-on exhibits and a multimedia touchscreen which amazingly allows you to interact with the world around you.

C. Quex House Museum

Quex is one of Kent's finest Regency houses and museums. A vast collection of treasures from different civilizations including splendid

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pieces of oriental furniture, rugs, ornaments and clocks gathered on expeditions to Africa has been assembled at Quex, making this an exciting place to visit and an important centre for the academic study of different races. In the eight galleries at Quex, you will find an amazing variety of items from the finest animal specimens in the world to striking tribal art, weapons, carvings and costumes, as well as valuable collections of Chinese porcelain and local architecture.

D. Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery

Let us introduce you to a wealth of heritage. This exceptionally fine regional museum, housed in a delightful Elizabethan manor house, boasts a rich and impressive variety of historical objects, fine art and natural history. Fine and decorative arts include European and British paintings, ceramics, glass, furniture, costume and textiles from the 17th to 20th centuries. An extensive collection contrasts artefacts from the Prehistoric Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Medieval periods, and an Egyptian collection including our own mummy. The curator of the museum provides a stimulating range of contemporary and historical exhibitions with an educational program linked to history and science.

1. People fascinated by the orient are recommended to visit

A. The Victoria and Albert Museum, the Museum of the Moving Image and Quex House Museum

B. Quex House Museum and Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery

C. The Victoria and Albert Museum and Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery

D. The Victoria and Albert Museum and Quex House Museum

2. Interactive exhibitions are available at

A. Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery B. The Victoria and Albert Museum C. Quex House Museum

D. the Museum of the Moving Image

3. An anthropologist will probably find useful a visit to

A.The Victoria and Albert Museum and Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery

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B.Quex House Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image

C.Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery and Quex House Museum

D.The Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image

4. Those who love painting won't miss a visit to

A. the Victoria and Albert Museum and Quex House Museum

B. Quex House Museum and Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery

C. The Victoria and Albert Museum and Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery

D. Quex House Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image

5. The museum that impresses not only by its wealth of exhibits but also by its size

A. Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery B. The Victoria and Albert Museum C. Quex House Museum

D. the Museum of the Moving Image

II. Прочитайте текст. Подберите соответствующий заголовок к каждому абзацу (1-7).

(1)Michelangelo was born 6 March 1475 into an old and noble Italian family. By the time he was twelve years old, he already knew that he wanted to be an artist. But when he made his announcement, his father was furious. He had hoped that Michelangelo would bring honor to the family, and the way he saw it, becoming an artist was a step down.

(2)Still, Michelangelo was determined, and finally his father gave in. On 1 April 1488, Michelangelo was apprenticed to the Ghirlandaio brothers – the leading fresco painters of Italy. But what Michelangelo really wanted to be was a sculptor. He thought sculpting was the art closest to God.

(3)Michelangelo lived in the beautiful and powerful city of Florence. Its ruler was a man called Lorenzo de' Medici. A generous and culti-

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vated nobleman, Lorenzo decided to start a school for young sculptors in his garden. In 1489, Michelangelo left the workshop of the Ghirlandaio brothers to join the school of the Medici gardens. There Lorenzo, the great and powerful man, noticed him. Indeed, he thought the fourteen-year-old boy so talented that he invited Michelangelo to come and live at the palace.

(4)Bit by bit, he grew into an artist capable of sculpting the Pieta. The Pieta was Michelangelo's first masterpiece. He began working on it in 1498, when he was only twenty-three. A Pieta is a painting or a sculpture of Jesus in the arms of his mother Mary after the crucifixion. Many artists have done one, but Michelangelo's is probably the most beautiful of all.

(5)After completing the Pieta, Michelangelo turned his attention to other projects. In Florence there was a huge slab of marble nicknamed The Giant. Michelangelo hoped that the city officials would let him sculpt it. They did, and this was how the famous statue of David came to be. According to the Bible, David was a young shepherd boy who killed the enemy of his people – the giant Goliath – with a simple slingshot. The result of Michelangelo's efforts was a celebrated masterpiece.

(6)In 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo did not want the job. He was not a painter, he argued. He was a sculptor. But the pope insisted. So, with a heavy heart, Michelangelo began to work. But the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel turned out to be one of the most astounding achievements in art history. They include what is probably Michelangelo's most famous single painting – the creation of Adam.

(7)Michelangelo lived until he was ninety, and when he died, he left many works unfinished. Several of these incomplete works are so interesting that some people think they are the most important of his career. In his unfinished sculptures, Michelangelo may have been experimenting with the idea of leaving figures half-formed, as if caught trying to struggle free from the marble in which they are trapped.

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